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History of Parkdale
Apparently the name Parkdale was selected by Ralph Davies in about 1910. The primary economy was originally timber and fruit growing until recently when the timber industry ground to a halt and tourism picked up in the area. While tourists have helped to provide a steady stream of money, orchards are still the primary commerce.
The population in 2000 was 266 and had a median annual income of $33,100. Large portions of the population are farm workers and the bulk of the property surrounding Parkdale is made up of orchards and farmland.
Diamond Fruit Growers is one of the main employers and has a fruit processing operation in the middle of town. Logging has nearly stopped all together, but there is still some taking place the local mill continues to produce lumber albeit only a shadow of its production 20 years ago. Parkdale is the terminal end of the Mt. Hood Railroad that was originally used for fruit and lumber transport. Fortunately it is still in use, only now it hauls visitors up from Hood River on site seeing trips.
Recreation and tourism have largely become the main attraction for visitors with nearby skiing at both Cooper Spur ski area and Mt. Hood Meadows ski area. Mt. Hood national Forest is one of the most accessible forests in the region and offers all kinds of camping, hiking, biking, and other outdoor activities. All of this is within just minutes of Parkdale making the community a great base camp.